1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to removing disks one at a time from a stack of disks, and more particularly to removing the bottom disk from a stack of disks and delivering the disks to a workstation for processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In most disk handling machines such as for copying machines and disk printing machines, stacks of disks are processed by removing the top most disk from a stack of disks by a CD picker and then moving the disk to a workstation to be processed and dropping the disk into the workstation. For disk copying devices the CD picker picks the disk out of a stack of blank disks, moves the CD to a tray and drops the disk in the tray. The tray retracts into a disk copy machine and the disk is written on to make a copy. The tray ejects from the copier and the disk is exposed for the CD picker to lift the disk from the tray and place it at another workstation, such as for printing on the disk, or in a stack of copied disks.
CD pickers for lifting a disk off a stack are relatively complex and expensive devices which usually have an arm with rotates on a tower and can be raised and lowered so a disk engaging device may be employed to lift a disk from a stack move it to another position and let go of the disk. Complex controllers and disk engaging equipment must be used to pick the disk from the stack and move it to a desired location.
It is desired to have a low cost, easy to make, easy to use, robust system for removing disks from a stack of disks and delivering the disks to a workstation for processing. It is also desired to have a low cost device for removing disks from workstations and placing them in another workstation, in a stack of completed disks or in a discard bin.